


Mental Notes

by ChocolateXMyMouth



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: (it gets fluffier as it goes I promise), Comatose Peter, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Telepathic Wanda Maximoff, Vision is a Good Bro (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:35:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28928883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateXMyMouth/pseuds/ChocolateXMyMouth
Summary: When Peter is roughed up badly on a mission, he is put into a medically induced coma to recover faster. Naturally, all of the Avengers are saddened about having to deal without hearing their spider companion for a week or two. But none are quite as broken as Wanda Maximoff, who refuses to leave his side.But in the end, she will be the one most changed by Peter’s slumber... for better or worse, her powers are about to be the key to Peter's return to the real world. She just needs a little push...
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker & Sam Wilson, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Wanda Maximoff & Vision, Wanda Maximoff/Peter Parker
Comments: 18
Kudos: 112





	1. Without You...

“ _PETER’S BEEN HIT!_ ”

The scream of Rhodey pierced Wanda as her comm filled her eardrum with the most horrific sentence she had ever heard on an Avengers mission.

There were eight of them currently taking down a Hydra remnant base, and these maniacs were some of the most dangerous yet. They were all part of a subdivision of the terrorist organization that focused on weapon production and manufacturing, especially with experimental tech and alien stuff if they could get their hands on it, making them a prime takedown target for the Avengers. 

Steve and Natasha were co-leading the mission, and Rhodey, Loki, Wanda, Peter, Hope, and Scott had volunteered to come along to help them take down this faction of terrorists - after learning of the weapons they had, they were all given the chance to back down with no repercussion.

None of them had done so.

Now Wanda was wishing one of them had. So, so badly.

She pressed the button on her comm to try and communicate, but no words came out - they were caught in her throat as she took cover, and all that came out was shaky and worried breaths.

“ _I got him!_ ” Hope called out, having grabbed Peter after he had fallen to the ground mid-swing. “ _Oh… oh God… he’s out cold._ ”

“ _He got hit with one of those energy cannons, the fact he’s only out cold is miraculous!_ ” Loki said, another one of his daggers finding itself lodged in a Hydra soldier.

Wanda’s panicked brain only proceeded to bombard her faster with horrific thoughts - thoughts she never ever wanted to think about any of her friends, much less Peter freaking Parker, the sweetest boy she had _ever_ _met._

Suddenly, she was snapped out of her trance by a horrific realization - a bunch of Hydra soldiers had her surrounded. They were all yelling various things in German, stuff she couldn’t be bothered to translate. These were the scum of the earth - people like these disgusted Wanda.

But worst of all… they had hurt Peter.

_You didn’t get away with that._

“Сегодня вы все познаете новую боль…” Wanda whispered, her eyes flaring up with a scarlet coat of fury, magic dancing around her fingers like fire on a pile of wood. 

The soldiers all raised their guns at her as she stood up - there must’ve been ten at least - but as her magic flowed towards them in a mystifying wave, they were all thrown into the sky and back onto the ground with force; weaponry, and more than likely bones as well, shattered on the stone ground.

And then, she looked up to see the rest of her fellow Avengers retreating from the base - Natasha had some sort of detonator in her hand, and Scott’s helmet-less face looked panicked beyond belief. 

Reality hit her again like a brick, and she found herself unable to move…

“WANDA!” Steve called out urgently, bolting over to the young woman and putting his shield over her head. “WE NEED TO GO!”

She was snapped out of her trance almost immediately by Steve’s urgent voice, and she began to run alongside her teammates. Loki even seemed panicked by the fire raining down upon them as they bolted back to the Quinjet, where Hope and Rhodey were already stationed with Peter…

_Would she even be able to look at him? Would it all be too much?_

Wanda absolutely hated when her mind ran a million miles an hour like this, but she couldn’t do anything but run and worry as they sprinted to their getaway.

Finally, the blue ship that seemed like the most appealing sight on earth came into view… they were almost out of here.

“BLOW IT TO HELL!” Rhodey shouted once they were in sight.

Natasha slammed the bright, red, and obvious button on the detonator, and tossed it to the ground. The five remaining Avengers practically leapt into the Quinjet as the explosives they had planted went off, hopefully blowing the last of those thugs to hell and back.

“Where’s Peter?” Loki, of all people, asked first. The jet was being piloted by Rhodey, and only he and Hope had seen Peter’s condition so far.

“He’s here!” Hope called out.

She was cradling Peter’s maskless head in her lap… he looked _awful._ Covered in sweat and with blood clotting from a cut on his face, and his curls were a mess…

Wanda’s heart shattered at the sight.

“P-Peter?” she whispered, sitting next to the woman and shakily saying his name. “C-Can… Can you hear me?” 

Peter mumbled something, even just barely, but she could barely make it out.

“He got knocked out of the sky with one of those energy cannons,” Loki said, placing a hand on his forehead. “It’s a miracle he’s not-”

“D-Don’t, don’t you say it,” Wanda said, her Sokovian accent thick and harsh. Then, her eyes softened. “...I-I’m sorry…” Loki nodded, understanding her emotional state.

“He’s going to be okay,” Natasha quietly assured Wanda, placing a hand on her shoulder. “He’s a tough one, aren’t you buddy?” Peter didn’t respond, but the fact that he wasn’t crying out in pain was at least somewhat reassuring…

“Let’s get him to a more comfortable area,” Steve said quietly. “Hope?”

“Gotcha,” Hope said, letting Steve gently pick up and cradle Peter as he took him to a softer area to rest. Wanda covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to get emotional - she sighed shakily, fanning her eyes.

“Will he be okay, Steve?” she heard Scott ask softly.

Steve sighed deeply, looking down at Peter with regret that he couldn’t have helped - a feeling shared mutually around the jet. “I hope so, Scott. He’s in God’s Hands now.”

**-0-**

Everyone was an anxious wreck as they waited for Bruce and Dr. Cho’s diagnosis.

Back at the Tower, the entire team was now present - Tony and Pepper had dropped what they were doing business-wise to immediately come and make sure Peter was okay. The remaining Avengers - Thor, Clint, Vision, Sam, and Bucky had all gathered with the team as well. 

Finally, Bruce and Helen emerged.

“He’s going to be okay,” Helen said, smiling but with some sadness in her eyes.

“I take it there’s a but?” asked Tony, trying to be optimistic, but the obvious was obvious.

Bruce nodded. “He cracked two ribs and sustained a concussion. It’s a miracle he didn’t sustain more damage… but the damage he did sustain is very unique. To try and help him recuperate quicker, he’s been put into a medically induced coma.”

“He _what?!_ ” Sam exclaimed. “I’m not a doctor, but isn’t that for like, life threatening stuff?”

“It was either that, or he slept and recovered even slower,” Helen said. “The nature of the wound he sustained with the energy cannon’s blast was… unique. Making a unique injury type by consequence.”

“How long will he be out?” asked Bucky.

“Most likely two weeks,” Helen said.

“I could take him to New Asgard and see if our healers could help,” Thor suggested.

“As much as we wanna do anything to help Peter,” Bruce said, meaning every word, “it’s best for him and, honestly, for us that he stays here.”

Covering up being in a medically induced-coma was probably gonna be pretty hard to hide… thankfully it was the summer, right? 

“I’ll contact May about this,” Pepper sighed deeply. “Oh, the poor woman…”

One by one, all of the Avengers began to file out of the room, carrying the solemnity of the whole situation with them as they left. They tried to remain in good spirits, but how do you do that when the youngest one of your team is recovering in a medically induced coma from a cracked rib and concussion?

The last one to leave was Wanda…

She just felt so bad about not being able to protect him.

She knew the circumstances were beyond her control - he had gotten knocked out of the sky like, a quarter mile away; even still she felt like she should’ve been able to help. Her face remained down and droopy as she left the room, to try and take her mind off of this whole situation, even for a bit.

Right from the get-go, she could tell that was probably not possible.

**-0-**

**3:24 AM**

She couldn’t sleep.

Her mind was constantly plaguing her with dreadful thoughts of never seeing Peter’s beautiful, kind and caring eyes flutter open ever again. Never getting to laugh at him about things known as ‘memes’ she didn’t fully understand yet, but was slowly getting there. Never getting to snuggle up with him on the couch and watch a classic Hollywood film, marveling at the talent of old stars that was hardly recognized these days.

She sighed… there was only one thing that could calm her raging thoughts.

Wanda got up, her pajama shirt and pants keeping her safe from the sudden chill of the room without her blanket, slipped on her slippers, and walked softly out of her room. 

The elevator ride was quiet, but her head was still screaming. She just had to get to him…

As she reached the floor where Peter rested, she softly walked around, looking for the room he was in… the beeping of a heart monitor from a room where the door was slightly ajar.

When she walked in, she didn’t know how to describe the feeling she felt.

So she would describe the sight - Peter was hooked up to a heart monitor, breathing steadily and resting peacefully. He looked cleaner than before, but the damage was still evident. There was bruising on his cheek and his arm, probably from the blast…

“Oh Peter,” Wanda softly said, walking to the other side of the room.

She pulled up a spinning chair that was at a desk to his bedside, and then softly took a hold of his hand - her touch barely had any grip, but their skin connecting gave Wanda a feeling… a feeling of hope.

Especially when, by accident, she activated her powers - she realized Peter was dreaming…

_Hehehe, Mr. Barnes is accusing Mr Wilson of stealing his socks… little do they know Mr. Loki has been switching them around for WEEKS! Oh this is gonna be rich… Man, I wish Wanda could see this argument._

Wanda smiled, brushing her fingers gently over Peter’s palm…

“Rest well, Peter,” Wanda said gently, bringing her lips to the back of his hand to make sure, if there was a chance Peter was able to feel, he knew he was being loved just as much as before this. 

Wanda then leaned back in the chair, and closed her eyes gently… 

Today was a day, for sure…


	2. Chapter 2

Wanda found it so hard to leave Peter’s side.

It had been two days since they had returned from their mission in Germany - and she tried her hardest to see Peter whenever she could. Holding his hand gave her assurance that yes, he was still here, and he was going to be okay…

Unfortunately, Dr. Banner and Dr. Cho just couldn’t allow her to waltz in whenever she felt like she needed to. 

They completely understood the emotional state Wanda had going into this, and sympathized with it, but they needed isolation in order to work on making sure Peter was going to be okay.

Oh yeah, May had visited too… that was so sad to see. She was so distressed over her nephew’s condition when she first walked in, and Pepper and Tony had accompanied her the whole time she was in his room. There were probably a lot of tears shed in that room while she was there.

And yet, when she walked out… she had an optimistic, caring smile on her face. She had thanked everyone, including Wanda when she saw her, for taking such good care of him, asking to be informed as soon as he woke up so she could break literally every speed law and come see him.

Wanda envied her ability to have such an optimistic outlook show itself - that was really admirable to her. Aunt May herself was admirable.

Anyway, Wanda was now trying to just walk around the tower… just to clear her head…

When she heard Bucky and Sam laughing.

From inside Peter’s room.

Wanda’s hopes briefly flickered up, and even if they weren’t to be realized, she made a mad dash for the room, and burst into the room.

...He was still asleep, but Bucky and Sam were smiling down at him.

“W-What… what were you two doing?” Wanda asked curiously, trying to act like she hadn’t just done _that._

Bucky smirked. “We’re chatting about literally every argument we’ve had with the kid.”

Wanda relaxed, realizing they probably were respectfully ignoring what she had just done. fFor the first time in two days, she genuinely smiled. “Wouldn’t that take years, though?”

“He didn’t mention it was only the week before y’all went to Germany,” chuckled Sam. “Let’s see… what juice flavor is the best, whether or not he’s got a massive crush on someone, what day of the week really is the best…”

“...Interesting topics,” Wanda said, leaning against the door frame, trying to ignore the big and obvious one.

Sam suddenly sprouted a smirk, and Wanda gulped. “What do you think, Wanda?” asked Sam. “You think the kid’s got feels for some lady out there?”

Wanda blushed. “I-It’s none of my business to comment on that. That is a ‘boy’s matter’, nothing I should be involved with.”

“Wanda, you’re his best friend,” Bucky smiled - gosh, she hated these two and their stupid ability to just _connect_. “You’re bound to know if he does.”

“N-Nope, nuhuh,” Wanda shook her head sheepishly, trying not to become as red as her overcoat. Bucky and Sam gave each other a look, and turned their heads back to Wanda, those stupid grins on their faces once more.

“Well, we’ve been chatting with the kid for over an hour,” Sam said, looking at his watch. “You wanna take the next shift?”

“Mhmm,” Wanda nodded softly. “Thank you both… for keeping him company.”

“Anytime,” Bucky said softly, patting her shoulder as he and Sam walked out arm in arm. 

Wanda then sat down in the same chair she had been in a couple of nights before, and relaxed as she let her mind calm at the sight of Peter doing okay. Not great, not terrible, just… okay.

Which was okay.

**-0-**

**8:51 PM**

Wanda was awoken from her nap by a sudden, soft knocking at the door.

“Hello? Anyone in there?” asked a voice.

“C-Come in,” she stuttered out, trying not to yawn so loudly. After the door opened, Natasha walked in, looking worried and confused.

“Hey Wanda… you didn’t come to dinner, honey,” said Nat, walking over to Wanda and letting her rest her head at her side. “You never miss dinner when Steve cooks… Are you feeling okay?”

“Mmm… not hungry,” Wanda muttered. “I… I also forgot… sorry.”

“Oh, don’t apologize,” Nat assured her, rubbing the side of her head. “I just wanna make sure you’re okay… and you’re worried, aren’t you honey?” 

Wanda couldn’t help but nod.

“I get it, I promise you,” she said, rubbing her temple now - Wanda felt so much calmer at Nat’s sweet touch, letting the soothing feeling of her caresses numb her soul with comfort for the first time in two days. “Hey, I can also promise you this - Peter will wake up soon, and the very first person he’ll wanna see is you.”

“You think so?” Wanda’s precious brown eyes fluttered up to see Nat’s, and she was met with nothing but care in return.

“I know so,” Nat smirked. “I like to think I know the kid pretty well. All of do - he’s got grit, and is stubborn as hell. I’m only positive he’s still asleep because he missed out on so much of it during finals.”

Wanda smiled gently, looking back at Peter with newfound assurance.

“Honey, how long’s it been since you took a shower?” asked Nat. “I’m not trying to be harsh, I just want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself too.”

Wanda’s silence, and a small, soft look was all the answer Nat needed. Her stomach then growled loudly, and Wanda cringed in response, clutching below her chest with her free hand.

“Okay honey, here’s what we’re gonna do,” Nat said, never ever wanting to see one of her colleagues, much less Wanda, go hungry or without self care. “I’m gonna sit right where you’re sitting, and keep a watch on Peter, okay?”

Wanda looked at her gently. “W-What do you want me to do?”

“What I would _appreciate_ you doing is to go take care of yourself,” Nat said. “It’s what Peter would want you to do; you know that, right? If he knew you were neglecting yourself just to stare at him, he’d probably ask you what you were thinking - and his voice would crack like crazy.”

Wanda giggled softly at the thought… Peter’s high pitched, _very_ teenage boy-ish annoyed voice was literally one of her favorite things on earth. 

“What I would like for you to do is to go get some food that we’ve left for you on the stove - the lasagna is still nice and warm, so don’t worry about heating it up,” Nat said, kissing her hair. “Then, if you feel like it, a nice, long shower would help you so much.”

Wanda nodded… that sounded like a good plan. “Okay. I can do that.”

“That’s excellent - so proud of you. Then, honey, you know what else you could do?” smiled Nat.

“Hmm?”

“You could go practice your steps.”

Wanda’s eyes looked up at Nat with a hint of surprise… gosh, how long had it been since she danced? She hadn’t done it at least a week before the mission, much less during the two-week stint and after… but still, Peter wasn’t there to watch her.

“Nat, I don’t… I don’t know if I could… I don’t have my partner,” said Wanda sadly.

“Then I’ll get someone to come up and watch Peter, and you can dance with me watching you,” said Nat. “Sweetie, you need to rest your head when it comes to this. Peter would want you to be happy - I know how hard that is, but if you could just do a simple step for him… do you know how happy that would make him?”

Wanda thought about Natasha’s words… and how, no matter how much she wanted to deny them, they were gospel. Peter would want her to be happy, because that’s the kind of soul he was.

“...Okay,” Wanda nodded. “When do you want to come to my room?”

“Whenever you’re ready, honey,” Nat said softly, smiling and kissing her head once again. “You have no idea how proud I am of you. And Peter is so proud of you too.”

Wanda found the courage to smile. 

If Peter was proud of her, there was absolutely nothing she couldn’t do.

**-0-**

**10:23 PM**

After a lovely, refreshing meal of Steve’s tower-famous lasagna, a warm and lengthy hug from the cook/her adoptive father, and a long shower that was more therapeutic than literally anything before it, Wanda slipped into her favorite purple sleep shirt as she waited for Nat to come up, who had just texted she was on her way.

Her hair still damp from her shower, curls falling and dripping water every now and then, she knelt down in front of her bed and retrieved a pair of shoes from a special chest from underneath: her black character-style tap dancing shoes. She hadn’t seen them in forever, it felt…

Wanda grabbed the heel ends of the shoes, and tapped the toes together. The clicks made her smile, almost with a child like innocence. It felt like she was back where she should be. Wet hair, pajamas, and tap shoes seemed like the best combo in the world to her right now… if only her partner was here, though.

As she sat down on the carpeted floor, putting her tap shoes on, Natasha walked in. Her smile grew when she saw her adoptive daughter. “You look so beautiful, honey,” she smiled at the young Avenger. 

“Thank you,” Wanda smiled softly, buckling the second shoe strap. After receiving a hand to get up from Natasha, she walked over to her Marley floor in the corner of her room, and click-clacked onto it. “Who did you leave with Peter?”

“Loki volunteered - I’m really proud of him,” Nat said sincerely. “He’s really working on himself; and his therapist says he’s making so much progress. Peter’s been a big help with that.”

“Mhmm,” Wanda nodded with a soft smile. “He’s helped all of us… I wish he was in here right now.”

“He’s probably dreaming about you doing this right now,” Nat smiled, raising her brows cheekily.

Wanda nearly choked on her own saliva, so she tried to divert the conversation as quickly and easily as possible. To distract her thoughts, she did a little warm up improv. Her taps moved softly and gently against the floor as she tried to move away from the obvious thought plaguing her mind. 

Stupid hormones… stupid feelings… 

Then again, oftentimes she found the best solution was to just... tap it out. 

“So… what should I do?” Wanda asked, settling her feet after her improv warm up. “Do you have any ideas, Мамочка?”

Natasha smiled gently at the very personal name Wanda only ever used when they were alone. “Hmm… let’s work on your sounds tonight.” 

“Sounds?”

“Use them to convey how you feel - and tell me what they represent,” Nat said, sitting down on the edge of her bed. “If you want, tap out how you feel right now.”

Wanda folded her hands behind her back, trying to think of emotions to convey…

“Well… this one is…” she began, before moving her foot around, scraping it across the surface area of her board. “...Longing.”

“Good, good,” Nat nodded. “Do another one!”

Wanda smiled, feeling just so right to be back in her dancing shoes. “And this one…” she began to do a Broadway step, fast then slowed down to a near halt at the very end. “This one’s… care.”

“Oooh, very good,” Nat said, highly intrigued by Wanda’s natural talent at this. “You’re doing so amazing, honey.”

Wanda giggled in gratefulness. “A-And… uhh… ooh,” she said, doing a series of taps while alternating feet. “This one’s… clarity.”

“You really have the hang of this, huh?” Nat smiled. “Look at how much you’re going to have to show Peter when he wakes up.”

Wanda smiled sadly. “I wish he could be here right now, though…”

“I know you do,” said Nat, getting up and hugging Wanda. “You’ll have to show Steve tomorrow. He’ll be so proud of you - I know you only did three things, but still, you have so much to be admired, honey. And I can’t wait to see where you take this.”

“Thank you so much, Мамочка,” Wanda said softly. “And I’ll be sure to show папочка tomorrow too.”

“That sounds wonderful, honey. And you can always visit Peter whenever you like too,” Nat assured her. “I would never try to separate you two, but I need you to make sure you’re taking care of yourself too.”

“I will,” Wanda nodded. 

“Great,” Nat smiled. She then kissed her head, “I’m going to go to sleep, but you can continue practicing. I love you, моя дорогая.”

“I love you too, Мамочка,” Wanda softly whispered back, accepting the oncoming hug with full reassurance that she and Peter and everyone else in the tower would get by this.

It would, sadly, take time… but they knew they would win.

 _She_ knew they would win.

After Natasha left, Wanda's thoughts were calmed, if only for a short while, after pondering over these things. Returning the board, she let the taps fill the air once more. And after doing some soft and sweet tap dancing for a few more minutes, Wanda yawned loudly… her feet were hurting, and it was getting late. 

Even though it was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment, she sat down and took off her tap shoes. If her ankles would allow it, they were going back on tomorrow. She didn’t know why, but pressing her lips softly to the shoes reassured her that they would be there…

Just like Peter.

With this in mind, Wanda was able to tuck herself under the covers and sleep peacefully for the first time in two nights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos keep the author going and motivated! <3 (and the tap dancing scene was legit my favorite thing to write in a while. What did ye think of it? :D)


	3. Chapter 3

Five days.

Five days had now gone by with Peter being in the coma - and while his vitals and wounds were improving, everyone remained solemn that one of their own souls was helpless in bed, asleep and unable to wake up until it was time.

It especially hurt because, again, he was just a kid… No eighteen year old should be in a medically induced coma for any reason, and yet, here one was.

Wanda remained the second most watchful of Peter - Tony and Pepper popped in for short visits whenever they could, but sadly, work kept them away most days for long periods of time, no matter how much bureaucracy they’d gladly fight to see Peter more often. And they trusted Wanda to take care of him... 

She tried her best to keep herself up as she did this. She remembered to shower every day, made sure to drink water and also to eat at least something every day, and also to dance every other day - not every day, because her muscles wouldn’t let her without screaming “OW!” figuratively every time she moved the next day.

And as the healing process continued, Wanda made sure, no matter what, to hold Peter’s hand every single day.

He wouldn’t dare go a day without physical affection on her watch - not in a state like this, and not ever, period.

But one day, as she was trying out her ballet steps in her room, she noticed something… interesting.

Or rather - experienced.

As she closed her eyes to run back through movements one more time, she felt her head almost vibrate - like it had pinged. She mostly ignored it at first, but something flashed in her head, almost like a vision of sorts. 

It was an image - she didn’t know what it was, and yet she felt like she could write an essay on what she had seen. Wanda leaned against her wall after seeing it, not really knowing what to think of what she had just witnessed… Was it a sign she needed to get more sleep?

By day seven, though, this definitely wasn’t a sign of that - because she had slept for nine and ten hours the previous two nights after, at long last, exhaustion caught up to her. 

And the flashes of whatever visions she was having kept on coming too; she continued to get more and more vivid imagery. 

Whatever she was witnessing was in a suburban-esque area. Sometimes, she would be on a sidewalk, walking down a street before she would regain her normal state of mind. Other times, before that, she would be inside of a house, sitting down on a couch that she could almost _feel._

But she was never around long enough to get a full glimpse of where exactly this reality was.

However, what she was able to piece together was that these visions always happened within an hour of visiting Peter… whether this bore any significance she was yet to discover. But it was still something to link the events together, at least.

But either way, it was enough to keep her on her toes about what all it meant. She told no one about it, and tried her best to act like her nervousness about it was just anxiousness for Peter to finally wake up.

One day, though, as she came to visit Peter, Vision was already there. Maybe he could be of some help… or just a good person to talk to. Either was perfectly fine to her. “Hello Wanda,” the android said kindly. “How are you today?”

“Good, thank you Vis,” she said gently. “How are you?”

“I suppose I’m doing alright,” Vision stated. “I attempted to cook lunch for Sam and James, per their request.” “And how did that go?” Wanda inquired. “Well, this time, they managed to keep it in their stomachs,” Vision said. “So I have reason to believe I’m making progress. Thor ate it all.”

Wanda giggled softly. “You’re doing good, Vis. I am confident you’ll make as good lunches as you do desserts one day.”

“Thank you, Wanda.”

The two sat in silence for a while as they looked over Peter, gently breathing and resting peacefully.

“Can you scan him, Vision?” asked Wanda gently.

“...He is healthier than he has been since his minor relapse of issues two days ago,” said Vision. “As a matter of fact, this is the best he’s been all of the coma. I expect he should wake up by the end of the week.”

“Oh, thank God,” Wanda whispered.

“My scanner also indicates your heart rate rises whenever you step into this room,” Vision said, tilting his head like a confused puppy. Wanda’s cheeks blushed faintly. “Why is this, if I may inquire?”

“N-No reason… j-just the thought, y’know, he _could_ be awake w-whenever I walk in is all,” Wanda shrugged.

Vision nodded. “Well… if I may say, I think you two would make a lovely couple.”

Wanda’s eyes shot up. “W-What do you mean?” she stuttered out.

“Wanda, you do know how Peter comes to me to try and teach me ‘human’ behavior, correct?” Vision asked, and Wanda nodded. “Well… one time he tried to teach me about love. I cannot say I fully understand it, but he used several examples. Married couples included Captain Rogers and Madame Romanoff, Mr. Stark and Mrs. Potts, Clint and Mrs. Barton… but then, he used the ‘boyfriend/girlfriend’ analogy, as he called it, to describe more so young love than anything.”

Wanda gulped… Now what was she in for here?

“And he told me that he would love to have a girlfriend, but he wasn’t sure who would like him back. I suggested the possibility of you two being together via a random roll of females I know in my database, and he seemed to exhibit the same behavior you do now.”

“W-Well… u-uhm, h-how do you kn-know he doesn’t… he doesn’t love Michelle? She’s nice,” Wanda suggested, not really knowing what to do with her hands at the moment. 

“I’m pretty sure Mrs. Jones is just ‘bee-eff-eff’s with Peter, as he put it. They share what he called ‘platonic love’, as do he and Mr. Leeds.”

Wanda suddenly realized how few of Peter’s classmates she knew, much less one’s he’d be interested in… whatever. It was probably coincidental, right?

“What were you thinking about, huh?” Wanda smirked, trying to build some confidence and act like nothing had just happened, and she grabbed Peter’s hand gently.

_Flash._

_Flash._

_Flash._

Images flashed in Wanda’s head, seemingly confirming her theory - this mental imagery thing had something to do with Peter. She had no idea what, but now it was more apparent than ever. That same suburban area, the same couch she was sat on in an earlier image, and…

Peter. Peter Parker himself.

“Is something wrong, Wanda?” asked Vision. “You seem a bit distressed.”

“N-No, f-fine,” Wanda stuttered, trying to collect herself. “I… I just thought about what you said. M-Maybe you’re right… but I will not think about that - not now. N-Not while he’s hurting.”

“Of course,” Vision agreed. “That would not be ‘classy’.”

Wanda chuckled at the android. “Such a way with words…”

Still, even as she departed the room to go eat something, she couldn’t help but keep thinking about what she had seen…

What were these visions?

_And more importantly, why had she only just discovered them?_

**-0-**

**11:55 PM**

**__** _It must be a mental thing… what if… what if I’ve been reading Peter’s mind without even knowing it? That would be a complete invasion of his privacy and I’d never forgive myself for it._

_Or more importantly… What if he’s trying to send me a message?_

_Oh no… gosh… what if he’s in distress? No, he wouldn’t be in a suburban paradise if that was the case. That’s not a place to be distressed._

Wanda had sat down on her bed, back in her purple sleep shirt, trying to decipher what could possibly be the meaning behind these messages she was getting.

She had a notepad, and tried to make sense of all the stuff she had seen so far… the list included the suburban neighborhood, and how sparsely populated it seemed to be, yet home-y it felt… like the whole small town was tightly knit. The couch she was constantly on was very comfy… if she recalled correctly, there was a coffee table with a cup of tea sitting on it. Very ironic.

And the image of Peter… he was so close to her. 

Almost like their eyes were mere inches away from each other.

Now what could be the cause of _that?_

Wanda tapped her pen on her notebook, trying to put the pieces together… her eyes remained closed in thought, and she hummed in confusion…

_Wanda._

Her eyes shot open, looking around for the voice that had just spoken in her head. Yes, she knew sometimes you heard your name called and literally no one was there, but also she was psychic - this was something different, and she could tell it.

This… this couldn’t be connected to the images…

Could it?

_Wanda._

There it was again! Wanda got up out of her bed, and looked around. No one outside her room, no one in her closet (if there was, however, she was carrying a tap shoe as a weapon.), and no one in the adjacent rooms either.

What the hell was this?

She felt so unsettled…

But then, she suddenly remembered whose voice that was…

_Peter’s._

She didn’t believe it at first, but then after realizing how panicked she was, she didn’t even realize how the voice was exactly like Peter’s! The soft tone, the ability to make a completely normal word like her name shine, and just… just everything about it! It was him.

Now… how was that little munchkin communicating with her?

It then hit Wanda like a brick.

_Peter’s consciousness - his very own soul - had been talking to her via their mental link, that she had accidentally activated when she first held his hand._

_This was Peter telling her he was okay…_

_And telling her to come to him._

“Oh, you clever moron,” Wanda whispered quietly, almost glowing with pride. She then began to speed-walk to his room, and when she came inside, she almost felt like she knew what she had to do…

Wanda took a deep breath, preparing herself for what this moment could entail… or what the next few would. Or the ones after that.

But her deep breath told her to take it one moment at a time.

Peter was resting in front of her - so many of the machines had been unhooked over the course of the coma, but some still remained. But none of these machines would stop her from making sure Peter was okay.

_Whatever was about to happen, she was ready for it._

Wanda gently grasped Peter’s hand, sat down in the chair she had grown so used to, and activated her powers.

Everything, for a brief moment, went dark.


	4. Chapter 4

Everything, for a brief moment, went dark.

And then… Wanda opened her eyes.

Her feet were set upon a gravel pathway - gone were the houses of the neighborhood she thought she saw, and now all that seemed to surround her were fields, forests, and a mountain landscape in the background of the scenery… and a single house stood along the pathway.

Truthfully, it looked so gorgeous. She would kill to live here one day… it looked so pretty.

She looked down at her clothes - thankfully, she wasn’t out in broad daylight in her purple sleep shirt anymore. That surely wouldn’t be good for PR. She wore a top with black and red flowers spotted across it, and a soft jacket with a silver article of jewelry on her wrist. She also had on black jeans and yellow flat shoes…

You know, _where_ exactly was she?

And then, she remembered where she had been before this - this was the product of her mental link with Peter…

Or was it? Was this all just an illusion that she created out of despair?

Wanda took a deep breath, and walked up to the house that was smack dab in front of her. Really only one way to find out, right? 

The house was really pretty - it was quite big too! White and cream aesthetic with some browns splattered at the bottom bricklayer, and it seemed to be two stories tall. There was practically an infinite backyard if all of that greenland was to be considered as “a backyard” 

As she went to knock on the door, though, it opened steadily… huh. Well, that was a sign for sure.

Good or bad, though?

Wanda then found herself walking through a laundry room-esque area, before seemingly coming to the living room area, adjoined to the dining room in an absolutely massive combo room of sorts. There was even a little elevated area with a piano, and…

Wait, was that her Marley floor?!

She walked over and knelt down to look closer, and her initials were carved into the corner of the portable dance floor… yep. It was hers.

Was Peter keeping a reminder of her in his memory? That was… that was so sweet of him!

“Meww?”

Wanda nearly jumped out of her soul at the sudden noise, but as she looked up, she saw a brown and orange cat sitting on top of the piano - how in the heck had she missed that little guy?

“O-Oh… h-hello there,” she whispered, smiling softly as she stepped forward. The cat purred as she scratched behind its ear, and she used her other hand to look at the nametag…

Anthony ‘Anto’ Parker, the nametag read... what a cute name! Presumably named after none other than Tony himself. 

“You’re a very good little boy, aren’t you?” Wanda smiled, as the cat found itself wandering onto her shoulder. She giggled fondly, and smiled when the cat leapt onto the floor to curl up next to her feet. As sad as it made her, she felt curiosity poking at her, so she continued to explore the house…

The same couch.

It hit her so fast, she nearly gasped in shock - it was the same couch she had been sitting on in some of her visions. It was… it was almost overwhelming. Peter had been trying to communicate with her.

Instinctively, she sat down on the couch… it was so comfy.

It was like she had been here, many times before this… it just felt like home to her.

“Hey Anto! You hungry, bud?”

Wanda’s head perked up instantly at the sound of a voice so… so familiar. So precious. A voice she had lacked in her life for a week and nearly two days... Far, far too long.

She looked up, and there he was.

Peter Benjamin Parker.

He was awake, he was happy, he was _alive._ Peter laid down a bowl of food for the cat next to a bowl of water, and smiled, but then he looked up…

His smile only grew.

“There you are, Wanda! You got my clues!” Peter said excitedly.

“O-Oh my gosh…” Wanda whispered, standing up. “P-Peter… I-Is it-”

“Well, it’s my conscience,” Peter said, looking around with that same goofy smile, before his eyes returned to her. “But yes, Wanda. This is really me, and you are really here.”

Wanda gasped faintly, and stood up as quickly as she could - and didn’t get lightheaded? Wow, thanks new reality - and raced over to Peter, engulfing him in her arms as tightly as she possibly could. Wanda let out a deep sigh of relief she didn’t even know she was holding in…

Peter was okay.

“Y-You’re okay…” she whispered.

“Yes, Wanda, I’m okay,” Peter smiled, hugging back just as tightly. 

“H-Have you… have you been here this whole time?” she asked after hugging him for a solid minute at least.

“Well, no - admittedly, the first few days were pretty dang dark,” Peter said, sighing. “But then… you held my hand for the first time after I got hooked up to all those machines by Dr. Banner and Dr. Cho. I felt that, Wanda. That… you don’t know how much that simple touch gave me. Hope, peace, comfort, literally just about any good thing I could think of.” 

Wanda smiled warmly… the fact she could bring so much peace to Peter made her heart so warm. 

“I just started to think about how I couldn’t wait to get home… but I also started to think about what exactly that meant, in every sense of the word.”

The two of them slowly walked across the house layout of the living room and kitchen, Wanda listening intently as Peter told his story of his conscience trip.

“I was once at my childhood home - but it was so empty… I hardly remember it. Wasn’t much to make of it. Then I went to May’s apartment,” smiled Peter, thinking about his aunt fondly. “Oh, that one was cluttered as heck… then, I went to my room at the tower. I enjoyed it so much, being back there for a bit, even if no one else was there to share it…”

“...So what’s this one?” asked Wanda gently.

Peter smiled, sitting on the couch, and motioning for Wanda to join him. She plopped down next to him, curling her legs and feet up onto the couch.

“It’s where I’d like to live one day…” Peter smiled softly. “I have changed it a few times, but generally, I’d like to live somewhere where there’s a ton of grass - nowhere to swing for miles, and I’m okay with that. It means I’ve been able to hang up the mask, or pass it onto someone else.”

Wanda fully understood… The superhero gig was nice, but not a forever job by any means. She too desired the simple life so much. Peter was completely in his right mind to want this, especially something as beautiful... 

“Plus, it’s not like you’ll see Spider-Man owning a tractor anytime soon.”

“Wait, you have a tractor here?” Wanda asked, trying not to giggle at the sudden shift of tone in the conversation.

“No - but I can add one!” Peter said, giggling himself, so Wanda laughed right along with him. “I can change this place as much as I like… it is my conscience after all. I probably won’t have exactly this in real life whenever I do end up hanging the mask up, but I’d like to think something similar is in store.”

Wanda smiled… but then, her brow furrowed.

“So, what’s my Marley floor doing here?” asked Wanda gently. “And also, I could swear you don't own all those books on that shelf over there.”

Peter… well, he blushed at that question. He also smiled, chuckling as he looked down at his hoodie jacket pocket. “That’s… that’s a little embarrassing…”

Wanda quirked her head in question.

“Why don’t we go outside?” Peter suggested. “The scenery really is lovely right at this time of day.”

“Okay,” Wanda agreed, getting up off of the couch and following Peter outside.

When she stepped outside, despite having only been midday when she entered the house, it was now dusk in the evening - the sky was one of the most beautiful ones she had ever seen.

“Oh my gosh, you have a porch swing?” Wanda said in excitement - little things like this got to her, what could she say? “You’ve thought of everything!”

“You know it!” chuckled Peter. He patted the seat next to him on the swing, and Wanda eagerly sat down. They forgot all about why they came out here for a brief moment, just taking in the moment…

“Hey… Where’s your tractor?” Wanda giggled.

“Oh, I drove it around earlier,” Peter giggled back. “That’s actually why I came in late - I should’ve been there to welcome you inside. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t apologize,” smiled Wanda. “Your cat gave me quite the welcome himself, anyway.”

“Hehehe, he does that, doesn’t he?” Peter smiled, looking down at the metaphysical cat, which had gone through the metaphysical door. Ahh, subconsciousness…

As Wanda and Peter took in the setting sun, she finally looked up at him once more, having remembered why exactly they came out here in the first place. “Peter?” 

“Hmm?”

“...Why was my dance floor in the living room? And why did you have some books I know I own, but you don’t?”

Peter sighed, looking down… and smiling, even chuckling softly. Even in his subconscious, his nerves were still shot like crazy. Stupid feelings, transcending literally every plane of existence...

“Wanda… I never told you this before, and I probably should’ve before getting shot by that energy cannon…” Peter muttered, looking down, “but… if I could share the house of my dreams with literally anyone in this world… it would be you.”

Wanda’s lips parted in surprise, and her cheeks heated up with the warmth of… love. 

Love.

Nothing but _love._

It was at this moment, the two youngest Avengers realized they hadn’t just been pining for each other in secret… they had been…

They _were_ in love.

Wanda and Peter slowly moved towards each other, and Wanda’s cheek was cupped by Peter’s hand… as their lips touched, then met. The kiss was soft, and frankly not as good as it could’ve been, but it was each other’s first kiss, so they got a pass. Peter and Wanda both could be heard letting out a breath as they felt completely glued to one another’s lips, unable to part for fear this was all just a dream…

Sadly, even though they were in a realm of pure imagination, lungs still required oxygen. They separated, but remained close, touching their noses to each other’s cheeks…

“W-Wow…” Wanda said shakily, breathing deeply. “T-That was…”

“Even if it wasn’t in the real world,” Peter commented, “that _felt_ real.”

Wanda giggled, her eyes closed as their faces remained pressed to one another’s cheeks.

She flipped her legs up onto the swing, letting her face nuzzle itself into Peter’s neck...

All Wanda wanted was to live in this moment forever. Literally nothing was wrong here - her mental state was clear, she was with the love of her life, and Peter Parker was awake. She couldn’t ask for a more perfect reality.

But… it was all too perfect.

Suddenly, however, Wanda noticed - the walls surrounding the house were disappearing. Everything was surrounding them in bright, blinding white… Peter noticed this too, but he wasn’t looking around in shock like Wanda was.

He was smiling.

“P-Peter? What’s going on?” Wanda asked, grasping onto his hands. 

“Ah-Ah, yep, ah, there goes Anto,” Peter observed with a giggle as the cat disappeared. “See ya buddy!”

“Peter, seriously, what is going on?” Wanda asked, now growing somewhat scared of the very fabric of this reality seemingly falling apart before her very eyes.

Peter, however, just continued to smile at her.

“I’ve been waiting a long time to get out of here. I’m so excited to get to talk to you again.”

Before Wanda could say another word, Peter leaned over and pecked her cheek softly.

And then, a flash of light blinded her vision completely, before everything went dark once more.

**-0-**

**10:47 AM**

Morning light now flooded the room where Peter rested.

The curtains hadn’t been closed last night, and Peter and Wanda were both covered with a ray of light that would nearly blind a person if their mother pulled back the curtain to reveal those rays on a school day.

Wanda’s eyes stirred gently, her tender form raising itself from her reclined position in the office chair… still holding Peter’s hand. She smiled at the touch, running her thumb over his softly…

And then, she remembered.

She remembered everything.

The house, the gravel pathway, Anto, the couch… oh gosh, the _KISS!_

What would Peter think of her now?

...Well, she got her answer sooner than expected.

Because as she began to dread all these thoughts, something happened. Peter’s thumb moved. It moved back over her hand gently, and her eyes widened in complete shock. His whole hand was holding her own hand back…

And then, his mouth moved subtly.

And after that… his eyelids slowly parted, revealing the brown orbs that Wanda had yearned to see in the real world once more for so long now.

“Wh… What did I miss?”


	5. ...Your Touch

"O-Oh my gosh, Peter! It's… It's YOU!" Wanda laughed, not knowing what else to say.

"Well who else would be this handsome devil who got shot with an energy cannon?" Peter chuckled in his slightly delirious state. "Oh… too soon?"

"You're awake now - I'll punch you for that later," Wanda said, her eyes brimming with tears of joy.

Just being able to think and know it was now reality that Peter Parker was _awake and alive, breathing, laughing, cutting up like a teenage-young adult boy should, being himself…_ he wasn't in a coma anymore. He wasn't hurting any-well, okay, that bruise was still healing…

But he was okay.

He was okay.

Wanda kept repeating this phrase to herself, almost at the point of bursting with joy…

"Wanda, are you okay?"

Peter asking that question to her nearly tore her walls down. "Y-Yes, I'm… I'm just so happy!" Wanda proclaimed, her voice breaking as she wiped her eyes with one hand, still holding onto Peter's with the other.

Suddenly, Tony walked into the room - he looked fresh out of the office, as if he had only just gotten here. He was breathing heavily, but his worried eyes relaxed as soon as he saw Peter's eyes open on the bed. "Oh, God, kid…"

"H-Hey man," Peter said weakly. Tony went to hug his kid as gently as he could, without hurting him - he knew he was still recovering, after all.

Even though Peter reciprocated the hug as well as he could, he still didn't let go of Wanda's hand.

Her touch had grounded him in reality for as long as he had been in the coma - he felt like it was a lifeline for him. That he just… couldn't let go.

He felt so comfortable. So warm. So welcome.

It was… it was a really nice change of pace.

And gosh, it was good to be back.

**-0-**

**12:40 AM**

"I hate to ask this of you, but-"

"Peter, never feel ashamed to ask me to help you with anything," Wanda smiled, brushing his hand with her own. "I'm your girlfriend now… W-Wait, we never made it official, d-did we? I mean, y'know, of course, if you-if you don't wanna be-"

"Normally I'd be the one rambling, but I'm too tired to do it," Peter chuckled softly. " _Yes_ Wanda, you are my girlfriend. And I'm your boyfriend!"

Wanda couldn't help but beam at those words… she had never had a boyfriend before. This was something completely new to her… and so exciting all the same.

Peter Parker was her _boyfriend!_

_She was Peter Parker's girlfriend!_

This giddy excitement over a relationship felt like something that a typical young lady of her age would experience… it was one of the few "normal" things about her life, she felt. And truth be told, she was glad they were so rare.

It made each one of them all the more special.

"Could you… could you help me walk to my bed?" asked Peter. "They gave me the go ahead to go back to my room, Dr. Banner and Dr. Cho did, but… I-I don't know if I can. I feel… I still feel really weak."

"Well, you haven't really eaten in over a week, save for today," said Wanda. "You're probably really hungry, or will be tomorrow when it finally hits you. So of course, I'll walk you to your bed!"

"Thank you, Wanda," Peter smiled sheepishly.

It was tough getting up - being metaphysical for nearly a week and a half had caused him to get used to it, so being in the real world and standing on a real floor was still not exactly the easiest thing in the world.

However, with Wanda's gentle hand still grasping onto his own, and her arm around his waist, Peter felt a rush of energy - not the strongest one he had ever felt, but still enough to keep him going.

"You're doing great, Peter!" smiled Wanda. "Remember, just one foot at a time, okay?"

"Got it," Peter nodded, smiling at the work he and Wanda were able to accomplish together. It was such a simple task… yet he felt good for doing it.

They reached the elevator, and when they stepped inside, she was still supporting him. "I… I think I can stand on my own now."

"You sure?" Wanda asked softly.

"Not really… but I wanna try," Peter said, smiling at her.

Wanda could've beamed with pride - he was doing so good. She slowly let her arm fall from his waist, and he supported himself on the elevator wall. His legs were shaky, and he didn't really feel stronger, but it was better than what he had felt in a long while.

But he could still stand.

That's what made him feel better - he could stand on his own.

The elevator door opened, and Peter's room was just a little ways away. "You okay to try walking there?" Wanda asked. "I'll be holding your hand the whole time."

"Yeah, let's do it," Peter nodded happily.

His steps were slow and careful, but they were steps nonetheless. He continued walking with Wanda's help, and as they finally reached his room, he giggled a little bit.

"What is it?" Wanda asked fondly.

"I just… I just didn't know if I'd actually see this room again," Peter whispered. "Not when I was in the coma… but when I saw the energy blast coming."

"Oh, Peter," Wanda whispered. "I can't imagine how scary that was…"

"It was pretty frightening…" Peter nodded, looking down briefly, but then returning her gaze. "But… somehow, I knew everything was gonna be fine when you held my hand."

Wanda sighed, her smile hiding the dampness returning to her eyes. "Get in bed, you dork. You're gonna make me cry again."

Peter giggled happily, and slid underneath his covers. Wanda sat at the foot of his bed, rubbing his knee underneath the comforter.

"I'm going to stay here until you fall asleep - no if's, and's, or but's about it," Wanda smiled. "And when you wake up tomorrow, just text me. I'll be here as fast as I can."

"As much as I appreciate that, and seeing you first thing in the morning is always a plus," Peter smiled, "why?"

Wanda returned the soft smile, leaning over so she could reach his lips and plant a soft, sweet kiss on them.

"So you know you're really here. That this is real."

Peter smiled, thankful the moonlight seeping into his room didn't reveal the heat coming to his cheeks. He cuddled up with his pillow, smiling softly at his girlfriend… it still felt so weird to be calling Wanda something more than a best friend, and yet, it just felt so right.

"Thank you Wanda… I love you," he said quietly.

"I love you too, Peter," Wanda said, patting his leg. "You have a good rest, okay?"

"Mhm, will do," Peter said, yawning and closing his eyes.

As he fell asleep to the soft sound of Wanda's humming, he felt more comforted than he had ever felt before…

He was so glad that he knew he would wake up tomorrow.

All thanks to the touch of her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I get to my thanks and appreciation, I would like to issue a quick apology.
> 
> This honestly isn't how I wanted this fic to end - I wanted Peter to see a lot more people in his bed, write him getting the go-ahead to go back to his room, have Wanda get a lot more moments being giddy and excited (Peter too), but... I just didn't feel like I needed to do that. Partly because I have so many other ideas and I wanna move on, otherwise because I don't wanna keep you guys waiting... I'm so sorry I couldn't get the original vision to you all, but I hope this ending is still okay. :)
> 
> Thank you all so much for sticking with this story to the end! All of your comments and love has given me life, and I've thoroughly enjoyed writing this story for you all. I'll see you all in whatever I end up posting next! I love all of you so much. Thank you so much again!! *heart emoji spam*

**Author's Note:**

> I promise this'll get fluffier as it goes! As a matter of fact, just next chapter we get some lovely Nat/Wanda mother/daughter bonding... hehehehe
> 
> Also,  
> Translation: "You will know new pain." 
> 
> Please drop me a comment or a kudos if you enjoyed! I absolutely love hearing from you all so much. Let's talk on Tumblr too! @caitlinsnow-yayyy is where you can find me! <3 Thanks for reading! Stay safe y'all, love you guys so much!


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